Code Girls: The True Story of the American Women Who Secretly Broke Codes in World War II

by Liza Mundy

Code Girls is the true story of the young American women who cracked German and Japanese military codes during World War II.
More than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II, recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy. While their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to the nation's capital to learn the top secret art of code breaking.
Through their work, the "code girls" helped save countless lives and were vital in ending the war. But due to the top secret nature of their accomplishments, these women have never been able to talk about their story--until now.
Through research and countless interviews with the surviving code girls, Liza Mundy brings their story to life. Abridged and adapted for a middle grade audience, Code Girls brings this story to young readers for the first time, showcasing this vital story of American courage, service, and scientific accomplishment.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, World War II, Audiobook, Biography, War, Historical

336 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2017

About the author

Liza Mundy is an award-winning journalist and the New York Times bestselling author of five books, including CODE GIRLS, and her latest, THE SISTERHOOD.

Published in 2017, CODE GIRLS tells the story of more than 10,000 female code breakers recruited during World War II to perform work that saved countless lives, shortened a global war, and pioneered the modern computer and cybersecurity industries.

Available October 2023, THE SISTERHOOD is a gripping history of women in the CIA across three generations--beginning with unlikely female spies who served in the war and its aftermath, through to the women who tracked down Osama Bin Laden.

Her other titles include MICHELLE: A BIOGRAPHY; THE RICHER SEX; and EVERYTHING CONCEIVABLE.

In addition to her work as a narrative non-fiction author, Liza, a former staff writer for The Washington Post, writes about history, culture, and politics for publications such as The Atlantic and Politico.

At various points in her life as a working parent she has worked full-time, part-time, all-night, at home, in the office, remotely, in person, on trains, in the car, alone, in crowds, under duress, and while simultaneously making dinner.

Reviews

[Julie Barnard · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mother was in the Navy during World War II doing code breaking; she was at Terminal Island near Long Beach in Southern California. She had been a classics major in college, studying Latin and Greek. The book was fascinating and made me wish that I could talk to her and ask the dozens of questions I never did.

[Kaitlyn Red Wing · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided with a free copy of this book by NetGalley and Little, Brown in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I'm always game for a book centered around World War II. Add women and their major role and you've got me hooked. Code Girls is like taking a walk through history. A walk that is so rarely acknowledged and respected. While men were oversees fighting, women stepped up, Mundy gives a thorough history of the U.S. recruitments of women to break enemy codes. Over ten thousand women moved to Washington, in secret to decode enemy messages that would change the fate of the war.

The book is a lot to take in. It covers a lot of information over many years and at times can become confusing. Especially when switching between Navy and Army code breakers and the countless women we follow. Where I felt the book lacked was in the characters themselves. Too much of the book was "Dot was this old, lived here, here parents names were blank and blank and this is why she joined the war" Only this was over entire chapters. Too much time was spent on the backstories of each women and not on their actual efforts in the war. While I value this homage to their lives, the book felt choppy and these chapters unnecessary.

This book could've gone one or two ways, either it should've been just about cryptography and the war and how it worked, or it should've been about a few women (real or not) and their work over the course of the war. It felt like it was trying to be both and it failed. I really wish I could say this book hit the nail on the head, but it missed, just barely.

If you're okay reading an ultimately boring book but looking for some interesting facts in the midst, feel free to pick this up. I did learn some things, but felt like I could've got all of the necessary information in a 100 page book

[Katie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

So glad I finally got around to reading this one as it was everything I hoped it would be. I love reading books that showcase remarkable women doing extraordinary things. Highly recommend if you enjoy non-fiction, history about World War 2, and/or books that celebrate the achievements of women.

Having watched the movie The Imitation Game, I had some basic knowledge about codebreaking during World War 2, but this book really gave me a much better understanding, particularly the important role played by American women in helping win the war. Over 10 thousand young women, many teachers or college students, were recruited by the U.S. government to work as codebreakers. Their work was so secretive that most downplayed their jobs when talking with friends and family as just typical, secretarial work. Decades later many of the codebreakers were highly reluctant to discuss their work during the war even though the government had given them permission to speak of their experiences. It was incredibly heartbreaking to read the toll this job took and how it had a negative impact on some women for the rest of their lives.

While the book does focus on the lives of a few women in particular, you do get a glimpse into the lives of many other codebreakers and it was utterly fascinating learn about their experiences. It was slightly frustrating though when a person would be brought up and then not mentioned again until the very end of the book and by that point you had forgotten who they were, but for the most part it was a fairly easy book to follow.

I highly recommend getting the updated version of this book (I believe it might only be available in paperback) as it contains some updates on a few of the people featured as well as the author sharing some stories from readers of this book who reached out to her. I actually shed a few tears while reading because it was incredibly awesome to hear that this book gave people an opportunity to learn more about their family history. This book really shines a light on women who deserve recognition for their contribution to the war effort. I honestly can't say enough good things about it. Just go out and read it already!

[TXGAL1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liza Mundy has written a thoroughly researched book about the CODE GIRLS of World War II. Differing recruitment techniques were used beginning in late 1941 by the United States Navy—discreet selection of seniors astute in math, foreign languages and critical thinking from elite women’s colleges in the Northeast; and, by the U S Army’s selection of code breakers using handsome male recruiters sent to teaching colleges in the South and Midwest. As more women were needed to fill the sensitive security slots, female schoolteachers were enticed to try a new line of work with better pay—crypto analysis.

Several of the code breaking girls are followed intermittently through the selection process, the day-to-day life of those sworn to secrecy trying to beat the clock to develop the means to break codes and determine what they mean, and, the physical and mental toll brought about living a life so secret one’s parents or immediate family could never know the real work they did until decades later.

As stated above, the book is very thorough. There is a lot of detail minutiae. So much, that sometimes it’s difficult to get through it all—but, none the less important. I just wonder if it might not have been able to be edited a bit more.

It’s wonderful to know that readers have been able to connect their relatives with the Code Breakers. What a great source of family history knowledge.

I did enjoy this book and selected it because this was a part of WWII history of which I was ignorant. I’m really glad I read it, but it was a grind at times.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting look at the process by which women were recruited, trained and sent to work in code-breaking facilities for the American military during World War Two. I’ve been enjoying some of these untold slices of history, and this was another really cool one, following young girls, mostly right out of college with few prospects other than teaching school (and making up for there being teacher shortages by covering classes for multiple missing teachers in oversized classrooms).

The book was very technical, but also had interesting personal stories scattered throughout. I found the stories illustrating the blatant sexism of the time particularly interesting, as well as the resentments nursed between military men, civilian men working for the military as codebreakers, civilian women working for the military… there was a lot of tension! Anyway, a fascinating read.

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe this was a case of having too much research material available and not wanting to waste any of it. However, I thought that this book contained way too much information about train rides, living accommodations, letters to soldiers, engagements and other domestic details. There was also a problem of having too many names. While I believe that it’s a good thing for all of these women to get recognition, none of them stood out to me, and the book became a recitation of names. I was hoping for details of the work done and how it impacted the war. There was certainly some of that, but it felt surrounded by fluff. The chronology was also wonky. It began with the recruitment of women from the Seven Sisters in 1941, then goes to an interminable introduction, then picks up with more WWII recruitment, then goes backwards to code breakers during WWI and then proceeds with the WWII story. Some of the book was informative but most of it was not really interesting to me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[Suzanne Leopold (Suzy Approved Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beginning in 1941 secret letters were sent across the country to women attending college requesting their service for the war effort. Tens of thousands of women from prestigious northeastern colleges, southern teaching schools, and many other walks of life answered the calls of the U.S Navy and Army to serve as code breakers during World War II.
These unsung heroes left their small-towns, big cities, and families behind to work on their secret mission - one which would help win the war. Sworn to secrecy, many never divulged their wartime efforts. This tale of history, science, and patriotism follows the personal and professional lives of these women. Rich in detail and highly researched, Code Girls gives everyone a deep look into the secret work of code breaking during the second great war.
Liza Mundy is the bestselling author of The Richer Sex and Michelle: A Biography and a former reporter for the Washington Post. Mundy delivers inspiring accounts of the women involved in the uncelebrated effort of code breaking, which saved countless American lives. Vivid details of these women’s lives makes this a touching and interesting read.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really hard to follow but ultimately rewarding book. Liza Mundy (mostly) describes the experiences of two code breakers: Dot and Ruth. Through their eyes, we are able to see the inner workings of what was one of the most secretive US operations during WWII.

This book is a treasure trove of information. These women were responsible for saving thousands of lives--and on the other hand, they bore the weight of destroying thousands of others; most notably they broke the code that allowed the US to intercept and take down Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Their work was both difficult and stressful. They were not allowed to tell anyone (including friends or family) what they were doing. Sometimes they broke codes that made them realize their brothers, husbands, or friends would die and that they were powerless to save them.

It's hard to imagine working under pressure of this magnitude, and Mundy does a wonderful job of relaying how the women were able to normalize their lives, often turning to each other for a sense of community. My biggest complaint is that the narrative jumps around a lot. There are so many women, from so many places, each with their own set of circumstances, families, and job specialties. I found it really hard to keep track of all of them. Add to that the fact Mundy tries to break down how they went about their code breaking using additives and patterns...I was SO LOST!

That being said, I learned a lot from this book and am glad I stuck with it. I honestly don't know what the world would be like today without the contributions of these incredible women.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Interesting Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers who Helped Win World War II


SUMMARY
More than 10,000 women served as codebreakers during World War II. They were recruited by both the US Army and Navy from small towns and elite colleges. While their brothers and boyfriend took up arms, these women moved to Washington and learned the meticulous work of code breaking. Their effort shorten the war, save countless lives and gave them extra access to careers which had been previously denied.

“It was the first time many of the women had spent time in a bonafide work place apart from a classroom, and they discovered that work places are and have been since the dawn of time: places where one is annoyed and thwarted and underpaid and interrupted and under appreciated.”

REVIEW
Code Girls: The untold story of the American women code breakers who helped win World War II was jam packed with interesting information. Almost to much information, it was like drinking from a fire hose. There was no way I could absorb it all. Liza Mundy's years of accumulated research and interviews was certainly evident. With so much information to share, the organization could have been better.

I absolutely loved reading about how these women exhibited strength by moving to Washington DC and exhibited intelligence by contributing to our national security during difficult times. These women were able to crack both German and Japanese encryptions. My mother also moved to Washington DC in 1941, to work for the FBI. She, like the Code Girls had been a school teacher in Mississippi before she was recruited by the FBI. Maybe there is a story there that I didn’t know!

My favorite part of the book was the first hand experiences Mundy shared with us from her interviews of many of these brave women! Liza Mundy is an experienced researcher as evidenced by her New York Times best-selling books: The richer Sex: how the new majority of female breadwinners is transforming sex, love and family (2012) and Michelle a biography about Michelle Obama (2008).

“Tooth and nail they worked. No one jostled for promotion. All this, they knew, was temporary. The point was to win the war and get back to their regularly scheduled lives.”

Publisher Hachette Books/Hachette Audio
Published October 10, 2017
Narrated Erin Bennett
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I've long been interested in the WWll code work all my reading up until now was about Bletchley Park and the work the Brits did so Code Girls was a welcome addition to my ongoing quest for understanding of this topic. The focus stays firmly on the women's perspective which was a welcome though often frustrating outlook. The often very young women, new college grads or even teenagers, accomplished amazing things while getting little credit. Sometimes the men fulfilled strereotypes of how women were treated at this time (and even today) but in other instances there was a surprisingly level playing field as all ideas were welcomed from the youngest to the most mature minds and from the highest ranking to the non ranging civilians. There was one shared goal: to find out what the enemy was up to so they could save American and Allied lives.

There's a nice balance between the women's work and home life though the two were fairly mixed together since the women shared living quarters and tended to invite their male cohorts over for parties or meals. It was easier that way with less fear of saying the wrong thing to outsiders. Don't get me wrong the youthful high spirits were more focused on work than home or romantic life. I found this book inspiring and it was refreshing to read about the American code breakers.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance reader's copy.

[Leslie Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Code Girls has very interesting moments, but unfortunately they end suddenly and return to repetitive convincing that women were important in breaking codes. Now I think this story deserves to be told but the book was good when we met one of the girls, like Dot and had a chance to hear her story. It is unfortunate that this was followed by chapters of history book excerpts from the the female perspective before we heard the story of another girl.
To be honest I was disappointed because I love the idea of highlighting these women but wanted to see their story not be told a bunch of facts about them.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard about women code breakers in a historical fiction book by D. M. Sorlie. The heroine in the Sue Lee Series was recruited and trained to be a cryptographer by the Army. When I saw this book, I thought it might fill in my gap of knowledge on the subject.

During World War One many women were recruited as Code breakers but as soon as the war was over they were sent home and told the secrecy oath was still effective. They were forgotten over time by the historians. During World War Two more than 10,000 women worked on breaking and creating complex codes for the military and diplomatic forces.

Mundy stated that during her research she discovered that many of the code breakers were female school teachers. The requirements for a code breaker were the ability to detect patterns, and have a deep understanding of the inner workings of languages and mathematics. The Navy recruited from the elite Seven Sisters Colleges and the Army recruited from teacher colleges of the South and Midwest. There were also a large portion of women code breakers that were civilian workers. The author states a small group of African-American women worked in the cryptology section and specialized in money movements and banking. The demand for educated women was at its highest during the war.

The working conditions were difficult. The could not talk about their jobs; they lived in cramped quarters and had to put up with complex bureaucracy and sexual harassment. There accomplishments were most often dismissed by the men. The men stated that all the women were good for was to do the tedious work.

After seventy years the information about the women code breakers was declassified. The book is well written and the research was meticulous. The author searched the government documents and archives. She interviewed the women code breakers, many of them were in their 90s.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fourteen hours long. Erin Bennett does a great job narrating the book. Bennett is a voice-over artist and award-winning audiobook narrator.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

If you enjoyed The Radium Girls and Hidden Figures then you'll like Code Girls.

Mundy brings to life the young women who helped shape and changed the course of WWII. This portion of history has been largely left out of history books and schools (partially due to secrecy restrictions, partially because so much of women's role in history is skimmed over), so most of this information was new to me. I loved learning about these unsung heroines.

Thank you to Hachette Books for sending me a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Vanessa M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second Mundy book and probably won't be my last. She conducted interviews and underwent research to bring to the reader details that are now de-classified about the U.S. Army and Navy's code breaking women workers who used their superior talents to decode enemy messages during WWII. These women (men too) were amazing. I enjoyed following along with the accounts. Mundy's focus was on the details of the codebreaking (locations, equipment used, intelligence, security measures) but I also enjoyed "meeting" the women she highlighted for her book. I enjoyed learning about where they were from, how they were recruited, and what direction their lives took after the war.

[Jackballoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book tremendously, never having known that women were also codebreakers. My Dad was one who never talked about it. He was one of the those who was evacuated off Correigedor, by submarine, just before it fell. (Page 133) He was missing in action for awhile, and landed in Australia. He was in Navy communications for 30 years, but none of us ever knew what he did. I bet if he were alive now, he still wouldn't answer any questions.

[Lindsay Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

America exists by the grace of incredible women.

This book adds to a long line of books I’ve read about the real heroes of WW2. its shocking to me to see just how far and vast white male privilege exists in America, to the point where hundreds of important white women, and both men and women of color, are blatantly omitted from our history books, even though we could not have won without their smarts or service.

[Harris · Rating 1 out of 5]

My expectations of what this book would entail vs. what it actually contained is part of the reason for the 1 star rating. I thought the book would have a heavy focus on the decoding operations and discuss the roles of some of the codebreakers. Very little of the book talked about the actual cryptanalysis and how it was accomplished. I applaud the author's desire to pay homage to these unsung heroes who saved countless lives through the tireless efforts to crack these difficult codes. My issue is that it could have been accomplished over the span of 50 pages with an extensive acknowledgment section. Too much of the book read as follows: "Jane Doe from Kalamazoo got her degree from ABC College and joined the effort after seeing a poster in a movie theater seeking mathematics majors." And then there wouldn't be another reference to that person. So much of the book seemed disjointed and more like a collage of piecing together a variety of experiences.

The most interesting part to me was the chapter devoted to Elizebeth Smith. I just found out that a whole book was written about her (The Woman Who Smashed Codes), but am reluctant to read it if it's anything like this one. I hate to give this such a poor review, but it was probably the most boring non-fiction book I've ever read. I should've quit after the 30 page Introduction but thought there'd be some educational value to it. At times, there were interesting facts interspersed that provided some valuable insight.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong writing and strong women make this a strong read that I recommend. Why not 4 stars? Well, it takes a lot for me to give it 5 stars--this was definitely over 4.

What I like about this is that Mundy is able to follow some of the women until the 21st century so we can see what happened to them post-war. I am also happy that this history is finally hitting the mainstream, although I do hope the push against women in STEM fields doesn't swing to the extreme the other way, either--we still need choice to pursue what we want to, which is one of the main, original tenets feminism. Let's not put everyone into a box or belittle those who opt for other paths in life--we cheer they stay at home dad, let's not diss the woman who opts to stay at home.

Mundy was frustrated because she could find virtually nothing in the black women code breakers, and I feel her frustration; I wonder if any of these women lived long enough to feel free to tell their tales. One of the things I admire about these women is how well they kept their agreement to keep their work secret--if you sign a contract for that for this sort of work, then abide by it until you are released from it.

But be warned, this is a book set during a war--much of this work was done to lead to the defeat of an enemy so it resulted in deaths of those fighting the Axis powers. Don't diss the women who initially rejoiced when their work led to the defeat of the enemy, because if they hadn't done their jobs so well we might be living under fascism even now.

[Betsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative book mainly about the women who helped to break the codes of the Germans and Japanese during WWII. The author concentrates on a few of the women, showing how they were encouraged to use math and language skills to aid their country. Besides, the women such as Agnes Driscoll, there are many who receive a mention in passing, who came by the thousands to Washington, to the Midwest, basically to anywhere they were needed, except overseas, although a few even did that.

There was quite a bit of material about living conditions (usually dismal), sexual concerns (pregnancy and the abundance of men), and the tension of the military versus civilian service. It was interesting, but I thought the narrative became too scattered in its focus. It seemed that there was too much repetition at times. There are some photos at the end that gave faces to some of those named in the book. These women worked hard and helped to win the war, but then most were encouraged to go home and have families without ever divulging their service.

It didn't seem to matter if 'the girls' were 'Rosie the Riveter' types, WAVES, WAACS or civilians who were good at code breaking, you did your bit for the war effort, and then went home to let the men take over. Still, the door to the future was open a bit wider than it had been in 1941.

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are like me, you knew about the Enigma machine, Alan Turing and how important code-breaking was in winning World War II. But did you know that the code-breakers were overwhelmingly women? Yep, plucked from the best women’s colleges and school teachers, some brilliant mathematicians, others running code breaking machines, others setting up information systems, they provided the crucial information needed to take back the seas from the U-boats, sink Japanese ships, find the location for D-day, and create misleading radio traffic to distract the Germans. Yep, 10 thousand women were recruited to do this job - but they could never talk about it - until now, when many documents have been declassified.

Liza Mundy weaves a great story of the code breaking vows and triumph, but also brings to life the women, their daily lives, friendships, loves.

More review to come.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liza Mundy did an amazing job identifying how women assisted in the breaking of codes during WWII. I learned so much and was engaged and interested in the information. I also appreciated that it was told concisely and without a great deal of fluff. What I did notice is that some of the information became redundant in the telling of each woman's story. I would not presume to even attempt to assert that this was wrong, only that it is what I personally observed. Great job.

4 stars

Happy Reading!

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been been interested in learning more about women's involvement in WWII, whether on that's on the homefront, in the service, or industry, and this non-fiction book focusing on American women code breakers recruited by the Army (WAC) and Navy (WAVES) is fascinating. Before listening to this audiobook, I didn't know much about American code breaking in WWII because most of what nonfiction I've read has focused more on the British with Bletchley Park. Definitely a must read for anyone interested in learning more about women's efforts in the war.

[Joy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story--and the identities of the code girls--was classified for years. It's a fascinating look at our history and how these incredible and intelligent women helped us win the war. Their work of decoding and translating Japanese and German communications (and others) had to be kept secret so our enemies couldn't learn why our military so often was able to destroy u-boats and ships of all kinds, and it helped us on the islands that the Japanese held. Back in the day women weren't encouraged to go to college, to study math, the sciences, and other languages, so many of the women were recruited from colleges and schools, including teachers; most of these women had persevered--working hard--to get an education. And they weren't told what their work would be when they were first approached, but they were eager to help in the war effort and looked forward to the opportunity--whatever it was. And they could never reveal to anyone, including family and friends, what they were doing; they kept the secret for years.

The stories of the women and their working conditions are interwoven with the history of the war, including the rivalry between the Navy and the Army who had their own cryptography departments; the author does an amazing job of making this an interesting read. There are updates and a long list of acknowledgments and a bibliography that hint at the research she did. There is romance and tragedy and the horrors of war. This is a must read because the history of these women and the war and the aftermath should not be forgotten any longer.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the interesting and untold story of the over 10,000 young women who became code breakers during World War II. Women were just beginning to attend college and some were smart enough and brave enough to pursue careers in math and sciences that had previously been dominated by men alone. Others were majoring or spoke foreign languages. Many were schoolteachers. But they all received secret letters from the Army or Navy inviting them, after careful screening, to train and join a select group of women to learn to break and decipher coded material in order to help war strategy. Living in a clustered group, unable to even mention what their government job was, and unable to even speak of what they had done after the war was over, the material describing their efforts, success, and amazing initiative has only been declassified in the last few years.

I found this book extremely interesting and learned a lot about cryptanalysis.

[George Stenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good books with lots of interesting information about the women code breakers in the USA during WW II. The only reason that it was not a 5 star book for me was because it seemed to include too much misc. information in the book that did not add to the book.
If you like this book, I would suggest The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone.

[Olga Kowalska (WielkiBuk) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zapomniana historia młodych amerykańskich kobiet, które podczas II Wojny Światowej łamały kody wroga w „Dziewczynach od szyfrów” Lizy Mundy.

Ta historia zaczyna się 7 grudnia 1941 tuż po ataku na amerykańską bazę na Hawajach Pearl Harbor i oficjalnym dołączeniu Stanów Zjednoczonych do działań wojennych. To właśnie wtedy wojska lądowe i marynarka wojenna Stanów Zjednoczonych zaczęły werbować do swoich szeregów młode wykształcone kobiety z elitarnych uczelni w całym kraju. W stolicy – w Waszyngtonie – czekała na nie żmudna praca przy łamaniu kodów wroga w ściśle zdominowanym przez mężczyzn środowisku. Były to także działania skrupulatne, wymagające czasu i cierpliwości, często kilkunastu godzin ciężkiej pracy za biurkiem. Po wojnie natomiast niemal wszystkie te ciche bohaterki zostały zwolnione ze służby (zaledwie z kilkoma wyjątkami) i odesłane do domów, by zacząć zwyczajne, niebohaterskie życie w cieniu historii. Przez lata ich działalność wojenna pozostawała utajniona, nie mogły na głos mówić o swoich osiągnięciach i dopiero teraz Liza Mundy odkryła ich opowieści.

Dzięki odtajnionym dokumentom, do których miał dostęp mąż autorki Mark Bradley, Liza Mundy dotarła do kobiet, o których wszelki słuch w historii zaginął. Poznała ich barwne opowieści o codziennym życiu amerykańskich deszyfrantek, które musiały stawiać czoła nie tylko szeregom niekończących się liczb i symboli każdego dnia, ale także walczyły ze stereotypami, które powszechnie dominowały w ich środowisku pracy. Swoją ciężką codzienną pracą udowadniały, że deszyfrowanie kodów było tak naprawdę pracą zbiorową, wielogodzinną, wielotygodniową, która nie opierała się na geniuszu pojedynczych jednostek i nie miała nic wspólnego z filmowymi obrazami, które znamy z Hollywood.

W „Dziewczynach od szyfrów” Liza Mundy opisuje codzienność deszyfrantek, ich codzienne wyzwania przed jakimi stawały oraz trudności, jakim musiały stawić czoła. Mnóstwo tu ciekawostek historycznych, wspomnień, relacji opisywanych z perspektywy amerykańskiej, odmiennej od tej perspektywy II Wojny Światowej, do której jesteśmy w Europie przyzwyczajeni. Do tego całość napisana jest bardzo przystępnie, lekko, tak, by każdy, kto sięgnie po tę książkę miał przyjemność z lektury. Całość jest miejscami dramatyczna, miejscami zabawna, ale zawsze prawdziwa – opowieść o wspólnym kobiecym wysiłku, o odwadze i niezwykłym patriotyzmie, który napędzał te niezwykłe kobiety każdego dnia do pracy i wreszcie pozwolił im schować się w cieniu, kiedy było już po wszystkim, a nikt nie mógł dowiedzieć się o ich działalności.

Dzisiaj, dzięki wciągającej publikacji Lizy Mundy cały świat może o nich usłyszeć, o dziewczynach od szyfrów.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, well-written account of the women code breakers and their unsung major impact on the Allied victory of World War Two. The parts about how the German and Japanese code was set up was a little above my head, but I've never liked math. The book gives a flavor of what life was like during the war. The descriptions of how America celebrated the victory are awe-inspiring. Vint Hill is mentioned. I once taught college English classes on the Army base. Great stuff!

[victor harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the stories of the women who were recruited and how they adapted to the high pressure requirements of the job. They certainly had an impressive collection of talent. Their romantic adventures and misadventures were also interesting. Amazingly their critical role in the war was condemned to obscurity for decades because they were sworn to absolute silence about their code breaking assignments. Unfortunately some never received the recognition they deserved. The value of their skills can not be overstated. Just one example, it was their patience and determination that led to the deciphering of the Japanese Pacific ship movements and it led to the sinking of Yamamoto's ship which led to his death.
I did not particularly care for all the details of the actual code breaking itself. It was a morass of specialized information that was clearly important but some of it could have been summarized.
A solid 4 rating that like so many other books surfacing sheds light on another aspect of the war and the previously overlooked contributions of women to the war effort.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: A perfect narrative nonfiction blend of personal stories, global events, and a history of code breaking.

"Recruited by the U.S. Army and Navy from small towns and elite colleges, more than ten thousand women served as codebreakers during World War II. While their brothers and boyfriends took up arms, these women moved to Washington and learned the meticulous work of code-breaking. Their efforts shortened the war, saved countless lives, and gave them access to careers previously denied to them. A strict vow of secrecy nearly erased their efforts from history" (source) but here the author is able to share their story based on interviews and recently declassified documents.

This book was everything I hoped it would be. The personal stories, told with the help of letters and interviews, really brought the women to life. An author couldn't have made up more engaging stories. Although the author does include the women's personal lives and their romances, this helped present them as well rounded people without taking over the story. Marriages were presented as part of their stories, but not as the culmination or ending.

The bigger picture story was presented well too. The female code-breakers during WWII influenced global events throughout the war and their lives were influenced by global events, so this made for an intimate perspective on the course of the war. The history of code breaking, particularly the constant participation of women, was also explored. I loved learning about some principles of code-breaking as well. The author did an incredible job integrating all of these aspects - personal stories, global events, and code-breaking history - in a wonderful, engaging way.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the United States, the Second World War required a mobilization of its population that was unprecedented in its scale. With millions of men enlisting or being drafted for military service, American women found that their nation needed their labor as never before. While many volunteered for the Red Cross or took up “men’s work” in the fields and factories, tens of thousands joined the military, where they freed up men to fight by serving in a variety of essential non-combat roles.

Though the media of the time publicized the work these women did as clerical workers, ferry pilots, and weather forecasters for the military, the activities of one category of essential workers went unheralded, both at the time and for decades afterward. These were the women, both civilian and in uniform, who were employed as cryptanalysts to break signal codes. It was work that required intellect, tenacity, and patience, and to perform it the United States government recruited a diverse group of young women, from college-educated belles to poor girls from rural communities. Their work and the lives they led as they did it, is at the heart of Liza Mundy’s book. Through them, she describes their significant contribution to the Allied war effort, one that saved thousands of lives while profoundly transforming those of the women who participated.

Mundy notes that the employment of women in American codebreaking efforts was hardly a new development in he 1940s, as many had been employed in such activities during the First World War. Though much of this effort was scaled back at the end of the war, women such as Agnes Meyer Driscoll and Elizabeth Smith Friedman were still employed by the military in their signals intelligence operations, cracking the military codes of foreign powers while testing the security of those developed by the United States. Both the Army and the Navy ran separate codebreaking operations, and the author’s explanation of the different experiences of working for each of them is one of the most interesting aspects of the book. As eager as they were to employ bright and capable women in their operations, both branches struggled with how to incorporate them into their hierarchies at a time when the patriarchal assumptions of military culture were dominant.

Nevertheless, the demand for codebreaking forced the military to make the necessary adjustments. This was imperative not just because of the demands of the war, but the constant evolution coding and ciphering experienced. Among the strengths of Mundy’s book are the clear and accessible descriptions she provides of them and the work cracking them, which highlights the scope of the women’s cryptographic achievements. The different systems and the different codes used in them, often required tens of thousands of hours of tedious, patient labor before their efforts saw results, only for that work to be undone with the frequent changes the other side introduced to maintain security.

Mundy charts both the toll this work took on the women, and how they dealt with it. Friendships proved key for many of them, and her account emphasizes the camaraderie that developed between these women. Such bonds transcended their often divergent backgrounds and endured for decades after the war, as women who were often from very different walks of life often found themselves thrown together in their search for housing in a new city or their efforts to cope with wartime shortages. Many approached such difficulties with a sense of adventure borne of their unique circumstances, as for many the war provided them with opportunities to do things that were unimaginable in their prewar lives.

It is this sense of adventure which stands out most in the accounts Mundy has collected. Though perhaps tinged by nostalgia, they nonetheless help convey some of the novelty that makes their experiences such fascinating reading. As unfortunate as it is that it has taken this long to acknowledge their contributions, Mundy’s book goes far towards giving them the overdue acknowledgement for their achievements. A fitting commemoration of an amazing group of women and their underappreciated contribution to the war, it is one that should be read by anyone seeking better to understand not just the American code-breaking effort, but the demands it placed on a capable group of women and the lasting impact their work had on us all.